With so many
other big blockbusters out this summer, we were originally going
to wait for this one to come out on-demand. However,
our
eyebrows were raised when some were calling it the superhero film of the summer — better than
"Iron Man" and "Man of Steel" — so we had to check it out for
ourselves.

It was better
than expected.

After nearly four years, we forgot how iconic Jackman's Wolverine
character is onscreen. By the end, we were
wondering why more people weren't excited for this film. Sure, it
isn't without it's flaws, but it was definitely enjoyable.

Here's why it's worth checking out. (Warning: Spoilers do
follow.)

1. Many thought it was going to be a continuation of
2009's origin story, but that's not the case. It tells a good
singular "X-Men" character story.

After 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand," fans never received closure
on how Logan dealt with killing the love of his life, Jean.

Here, we see him grapple with that decision. Though the dream
sequences of Famke Janssen in a white dress conjure images
of Lori from "The Walking Dead," we needed
to see that so it made sense for him to move on in the next film,
"Days of Future Past."

2. The film never gets too serious.

This isn't a Warner Bros. D.C. Nolan film. Early on in the film
there's a short bathtub scene where the Wolverine is being
"disinfected" and cleaned up and Jackman shares that he feels
violated.

Later, when he's weakened we see him look domesticated,
struggling as a momentary lumberjack.

There's also another funny scene where Jackman stays at a
Japanese "love hotel" and must select between a dungeon, nurse,
and mission-to-mars themed room.

3. There are great fight sequences that don't overdo it —
the train scene.

Before the film opened in theaters, we were hearing a lot about
this anticipated train scene, so we had pretty high expectations.

"The Wolverine" didn't disappoint.

Not only does Jackman slash his way through a train car, but he
then hangs from the side before flipping him and another body
onto the vehicle's roof.

We've seen some cool train fights in "Skyfall" and "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," but those
weren't on bullet trains flying 300 mph where the characters were
flying through the air with timed precision.

Plus, the scene doesn't go on forever like the final battle in
"Man of Steel."

Here's part of the scene:

4. Hugh Jackman's classic Wolverine lines.

We've gotten so used to seeing
snarky Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) on screen as Iron Man that
we kind of forgot Jackman first played a wise-cracking superhero
back in2000.

One example of this is when Jackman addresses Mariko (Tao
Okamoto) who refuses to acknowledge she's being hunted down: "You
can't pretend s--- isn't happening when it is princess."

There's also a great part where Jackman gives a guy an ultimatum
to explain himself with nine words. When he doesn't give the
response he wants, he punches him square in the face before
tossing him out a window.

5. Its global appeal.

The majority of "The Wolverine" takes place in Japan giving it
worldwide appeal at the box office. A lot of the film has
Japanese subtitles or none at all — a rarity in summer
blockbusters that are usually catered toward American audiences.
(Yes, we know "Iron Man 3" added in some scenes in China.)

6. You probably forgot that other than all the slicing
and dicing, the Wolverine is actually the ultimate
superhero.

Bullets and a broken back could stop Batman, Kryptonite can be
lethal to Superman, and Iron Man without the suit is just a man.
However, The Wolverine is pretty unstoppable.

Other than the
train scene, a funeral fight, and a showdown with ninjas, there's
a scene where we witness the impressiveness of Logan's
immortality — something he sees as a curse until the film's end —
when swords are thrust through him multiple times.

7. There's an awesome scene after the film previewing
next year's "X-Men: Days of Future Past."

Staying after the credits has not been a trend this year at the
movies, but "The Wolverine" changes that.

Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick
Stewart) — who supposedly died in 2006's "X-Men 3: The Last Stand" — approach Wolverine
for a mission after the credits begin to role.

"There are dark forces," says Magneto. "Human forces building
weapons that could bring about the end of our kind."

The film comes out next May.

So far, this is all we know about the film:

"The X-Men send Wolverine to the past to change a major
historical event that could globally impact man and mutant kind."

A viral site
for the the movie was launched along with this teaser
trailer:

It's not all perfect.

Hawkeye?

The film features a bow-and-arrow slinging ninja reminiscent of
Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye from "The Avengers" which felt a bit
stale.

The Viper

Ben Rothstein / 20th Century
Fox

Other than the Silver Samurai scene at the end which feels a lot
like the Batman / Bane scene in "The Dark Knight Rises" (a slight
"darkness is your alley" nod), the Viper villainess
(Svetlana Khodchenkova) felt all too familiar.